Pole splice



Nov. 16, i937. Q A, FOX 2,099,108

' POLE SPLICE b ild Aug. 7, 1955 Patented Nov. 16, 1937 POLE SPLICE Charles Adin Fox, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application. August 7, 1935, Serial No. 35,085 2 claims. (c1. 287-125) `This inventionrelates generally to` pole splices adapted for use particularly, though not exclusively, in connecting together pole sections for producing elongated insulated poles employed i5 in the installation and maintenanceof overhead and other electrical equipment, the predominant object of the invention being to provide an improved splice which will connect pole sections in such manner that torsional strains may be apl plied to the pole in either direction without loosening the splice, and which will withstand strains applied thereto either in tension or compression without affecting the joint produced by the splice.

l 'Y Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating the improved splice connecting together a pair of pole sections, a small portion of the splice being broken away to show a part thereof insection. Fig. 2 is-a vertical section of the structure illustrated inv Fig. 1, the fragments of pole sections being shown 1n elevation.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isa cross-section taken on linev 4-4 of In the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of'illust'ration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A and B designate pole sections, and S designates generally the improved splice.

The pole sections A and B are formed of suitable wood treated in a manner to provide said pole sections with the maximum electrical insulating properties. It is to be understood that an insulated pole produced through the use of the improved splice is provided with the usual attachments common to poles of this description, but as these attachments form no part of the present invention they have not been shown in the drawing.

'I'he improved splice S comprises a member I fixed to the pole section A and a member 2 fixed to the pole section B. The member I is of tubular formation and receives an end portion of the pole section A, said member I and pole section A being secured together by means of pins 3 which are extended in opposite directions through apertures formed through the wall of the member and through the pole section. The tubular member I includes a transverse wall 4 which is located in spaced relation with respect to the end face A' of the pole section A which is located within said member I, and an opening 5 which is preferably non-circular in shape is formed through said transverse wall. Extended through the opening 5 formed through the transverse wall 4 is a bolt 6, said bolt being provided with a head portion I5a which is interposed between the transverse wall 4 and the adjacent end face A of the pole section A. Also, the shank of the bolt E includes a non-circular por- 5 tion 6b which is disposed in the non-circular opening 5 formed through the transverse wall 4, anda screw-threaded portion 6C. Formed on the under face of the transverse wall 4 in circular formation about the non-circular opening 10 5 therein is a plurality of radially disposed ratchet teeth 1, and formed at the lower edge of. the member I is a beveled face 8.

The member 2 is likewise of tubular formation, and said member is secured tor the poleKV section B yl5 by extending an end portion of said pole section into said member and passing pins 9 in opposite directions through openings formed through the wall of said member and through said pole section. At its upper end the member 2 is provided with a transverse wall portion I0, a part of saidv transverse wall portion being of reduced diameter as shown in Fig. 2, and an annular beveled face II being extendedv from the base of said reduced portion of the transverse wall por- 25 tion to the outer face of the memberl. The transverse wall portion I 0 is provided withY a centrally located screw-threaded opening I2, which is adapted to receive. the screw-threaded shank portion of the bolt 6, said screw-threaded open- 30 ing being provided with an outer, flared centering portion I3 to facilitate entrance of the end of the shank of the bolt into said screw-threaded opening.

The member 2 has formed within same in- 35 tegrally with the side wall and the transverse wall portion thereof an extension I4 (Figs. 2 and 4) in which an opening I 5 is formed, said opening I5 being formed longitudinally of said extension and being extended also through the transverse 40 wall portion IU. The opening I5 receives an elongated pawl I6 which at its lower end is recessed, as shown at I'I. A coil spring I8 is extended into the recess I1 of the pawl I6, said coil spring contacting at one of its ends with the 45 face at the base of the recess I'I and at its opposite end with the face at the lower end of the opening I5, whereby the pawl is urged upwardly by said coil spring. At its upper end the pawl is shaped to engage the ratchet teeth l formed 50 at the lower face of the transverse wall 4 of the member I. 'Ihe side wa-ll of the member 12 has formed therein a vertically elongated aperture I9 through which the shank portion of a pawl operating element I9 is extended, said shank por- 55 may be introduced into the screw-threaded opening I2 of the transverse Wall portion I0 of the member 2. The pole sections are then subjected to relative rotary movement to cause the screwthreaded shank portion of the bolt 6 to be Yscrewed Y through the opening I2 and thereby cause the beveled faces 8 and II on the members I and 2 to approach each other and finally seatA one against the other. During such relative rotary movement of theA pole sections the nose portion of the pawl IB slides idly over the ratchet teeth I. When the pole Asections have been completely screwed together, the bevel faces 8 and II are in very close contact with each other, whereby a rm, rigid joint between the pole sections is provided which is capable of withstanding maximum compressive and tensional strains to which poles of this description are subjected. Also because of the engagement between the pawl IS and the ratchet teeth 'I, torsional strains to which the pole is subjected in the unscrewing direction will not loosen the joint provided by the splice. When it is desired to dis-assemble a pair of pole sections connected by the improved splice it is necessary, merely, that the head portion of the pawloperating element I9 be moved in a direction to disengage the pawl from the ratchet teeth, whereupon the pole sections may be unscrewed without interference from the pawl.

An important feature of the invention is that the threads on the bolt 6 are protected from damage due to the fact that the screw-threaded portion of the shank of said bolt is largely located within the tubular structure of the member I. Thus rough handling of the pole sections will not cause such burring of the screw-threads of the bolt 6 as to cause inconvenience in assembling and dis-assembling the pole sections.

I claim:

1. A splice for connecting a pair of pole sections comprising a pair of members xed to said pole sections, a screwthreaded element carried by one of said members, said screwthreaded element being provided with an enlarged head portion which is conned between a part of the member with which said screwthreaded element is associated and an end face of the associated pole section whereby longitudinal movement of said screwthreaded element is prevented, means for preventing rotary movement of saidV screwthreaded element with respect to the member with which said screwthreaded element is associated, said screwthreaded element being screwthreadedly received by a screwthreaded opening formed in the other oi said members so as to connect said pair of members and the associated pole sections together, and releasable means carried by one of said members 'and engageable with the other of said members to prevent unintended relative rotary movement of said members in the unscrewing direction.

2. A splice for connecting a pair of pole sections ycomprising a pair of members xed to said pole sections, a screwthreaded element carried by one of said members, said screwthreaded element being provided with an enlarged head portion, which is confined between a part of the member with which said screwthreaded element is associated and an end face of the associated pole section whereby longitudinal movement of Vsaid screwthreadedv element is prevented, said screwthreaded element having a noncircular portion which is disposed in a noncircular opening formed in the member that carries said screwthreaded element so as to prevent relative rotary movement between said screwthreaded element and said member, said screwthreaded element being screwthreadedly received by aVV screwthreaded opening formed in the other of said members so as to connect said pair of members and the associated pole sections together, and releasable means carried by one of said members and engageable with the other of said members to prevent unintended relative rotary movement of said members in the unscrewing direction.

CHARLES ADIN FOX. 

